A councillor has had to give up his seat on a council to a rival after the High Court ruled there had been a foul-up at the original count.

Wansbeck Council's chief executive Bob Stephenson, who was returning officer at the count in May, has been ordered to pay the legal costs of the case.

Mike Kirkup, standing for the Liberal Democrats, was declared to have won one of three seats in College Ward of Wansbeck District Council in the poll on May 1, with 760 votes. His Labour rival James Sawyer was said to have polled 563 votes.

But judges at the High Court in London were told the day after the result was declared it became clear there had been a blunder.

Mr Kirkup had been allocated Labour's 582 "block vote" and Mr Sawyer had been given the Liberal Democrat block vote of 376.

A recount before a senior court official in July confirmed the error and gave 553 votes to Mr Kirkup and 770 to Mr Sawyer.